Lived Experience Forum

[orangebutterfly]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here thought I'd say hi, introduce myself and ask a few questions. I'm 19 and I have a few mental illnesses but I seem to be acquiring a bit of a collection. I've had anxiety most my life, depression for about 4 years and bpd for a while but recently I've had probelms with some other things. I've had an eating disorder for maybe 5 years now but it's been at one of the worst points it's ever been physically and psychologically recently but I think I'm finally getting some support for it. My main question is surrounding something I'm really new to, I was just diagnosed with paranoid psychosis (delusional disorder) kind of out of the blue. Is anyone else familiar with this or have some personal advice on how they got through it/manage it? I've tried the usual google search but information seems scarce. I hope you all have a good day! Thanks 🙂

[Mazarita]

Hi @orangebutterfly, welcome to the forum. 

Just did a quick search and found this about 'delusional disorder' (previously called paranoid psychosis):

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9599-delusional-disorder

Your post reminds me of the issue of diagnoses for all of us. They are a very mixed blessing in my experience. As I see it, they are mostly just useful when it comes to practical matters, especially in helping medical and psych professionals identify treatments that may most be helpful, depending on our symptoms.

If unable to work for a long time, diagnoses can also help with accessing mental health disability support, such as the pension, support workers and other potentially helpful, practical things.

I was diagnosed about 30 years ago and have tended over all this time to identify myself with my diagnoses far too much to be helpful to me personally, actually increasing my sense of separation from the rest of the world and reducing self esteem and sense of my own worth as a person.

Lately I am working with my psychologist to see myself more as a whole person than the labels that I have taken on for various reasons, some of which have been valid and helpful, but some undermining of myself as a person.

Wishing you well.

[orangebutterfly]

Hi @Mazarita 

Thank you for responding!

Yes diagnosis can be a tricky thing to manage and understand. I've always been told I'm an "unusual" or "complex" presentation which has made things difficult too. It is a bit of a way to kind of group together and identify the issues I guess. All in all I'd just like to be supported however that happens. Thank you for that link! I have an uncoming appt where I'm hoping to chat to a psychiatrist a bit more about what's going on for me at the moment.

Thank you 

[Mazarita]

@orangebutterfly yes, supported however that happens. Hope your psychiatrist appointment is helpful and goes really well.

[Oaktree]

Hello @orangebutterfly 

You are more than just a collection of labels. I agree with @Mazarita the diagnosis's are just useful for the health professionals to use. People have a habit of living up to labels. Much better to just be treated for symptoms that are presenting themselves. I hope that your psychiatrist appointment went well.

Meggle

[orangebutterfly]

Hey,

My psychiatrist appt went well. I'm starting on some meds so fingers crossed they go well. It's always been a tricky thing with me for diagnosis, I was misdiagnosed a few years ago which led to me not being treated properly and a significant detioration, so everytime a diagnosis has been added or changed I get really scared. I'm still pretty new to the adult system and found they tend to use diagnosis a lot especially with some of the stigmas and stereotypes they come with. I think I'm finally getting some people advocating for support for me and the syptoms I'm experiencing thankfully.

Thanks